Apparatus for raising sunken vessels



March 20; 1945. 6. w. WINKLER 2,372,039

APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS I Filed May 12, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet1 EIII 13cm EJEJEI E DDS EHJD .IIIIIJII IINVENTOR. Y 650%: I44 Hwy/r451?@MYW ATTO/P/YE Y5 March 20, 1945; 3, w w|NK| ER 2,372,039

AP-PARQTUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS I Filed May 12, 1944 5Sheets-Sheet 2 llllllll llllllll v INVENTOR. fi'sokrre I44 mN/(LER B/mraar Z5 Arm/Mfrs March 20,

e. w. wmkLER 2,372,039

APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS Filed May 12, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3"UUDUDD DUEIDEIU EIEIEIEJEIEI uunun u llllHllllll 0 mmmm INVENTO Gsofiafrum/mm BY M/ QZ ATTO R N EY5 Patented Mar. 20, 1945 UNITED STATES: PATET-1foFFicE ,ing sunken vessels in order to salvage the s ame,if

possible, and to recover the cargo carried thereby.

This application is in part a substitute for my application, SerialNumber 410,365, filed September 11, 1941, now abandoned.

The invention aims primarily to provide an improved buoyantly supportedhoisting, apparatus for initially raising the vessel from the bed orbottom, of the body of water to ap'artially raised location disposedwithin convenient "reach of the the vessel for'efiecting-final raisingof the same to thesurface. I i is I .Fig. 7 is a transverse sectionalview similar to Fig. 4, illustrating a modified form of hoisting craft.

Fig. is an enlarged'side view of a. modified form of buoyant surfacecraft with parts broken awa'y'and shown in' section.

Fig.9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which'theinitial raising is accomplished with the modified type of craft. 1

surface so as to facilitate access thereto in order to effect the finalraising of the vessel to the surface for the purpose of towing thesameto shallow water. v

The .invention also comprehends improved hoisting apparatus foraccomplishing a two stage method of raising a sunken vessel whichpermits of the initial raising of the same to a location nearthe'surface and the subsequent final raising of the same to the surfaceand support thereof in a sling arrangement for facilitating towing thesame to shallow water. I

More particularly, the invention comprehends in one of its adaptationssurface craft members" for hoisting a sunken vessel which members areequipped withbumper guard means so constructed and arranged in such amanner as to permit ofv the raising of the sunken vessel completely tothe surface of the water for disposition of the same between amultiplicity of pairs of said surface craft members with the hoistingcables arranged to extend under the vessel from the surface craft on oneside thereof to those on the opposite side.

With the above enumerated and other objects in view, the invention isset forth in greater detail in the following specification andillustratedin the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a sunken vesselwith the buoyanthoistingapparatus connected therewith.

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view through oneof the buoyant surface craft taken approximately on the line 3-'-3 of iFig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view therethrough taken approximatelyon the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. i

Fig. 5 is a horiozntal sectional view taken approximately on the line5-5 of Fig/4;;

f Fig. 10 is a similar view illustrating the final stage of raising: andsupporting the vessel.

Referring to the drawings. by characters of reference, the surfacehoisting craft or members A, as illustrated in Figs; 1 to 5 inclusive;are

disclosed as consisting of 'a hollow cylindrical body In having'a pairofvertical tubes I'l and I 2 which are spaced longitudinally of the craftor member A, are disposed centrally thereof in alignment with eachother, and which open respec tively through the top and bottom ofthecraft at diametrically opposite points to ways l3 and I4.

A hoisting cable, chain, rope or other equivalent fiexible element l5extends upwardly through each of thepa'ssageways l3 and is trainedaround a sheavelli 'J'ournaled in a bearing I! supported over the upperend of the passageway. The

provide passagevcable l5 then extends downwardly from the sheave l6through the openings Is in the top of the craft l0 and is secured to, ahoisting drum l9 mounted on a transverse horizontal shaft 20 journaledat one, end in abearing 2| and connected at its opposite end with asuitable motor, engine or other. equivalent prime mover 22, it

being understood that a separate motor or prime I mover isemployed foreachdrum and that the drums and motors are located adjacent the bottomof the craft or buoyant surface member. In

so as .to properly balance the same and maintain it in a substantiallyupright position upon Fig. "6' is anend view ofj'a sling coupled pontoonunit immediately prior to engagement with the surface. a

As illustrated, the motors or prime movers 22 aresupported upon aplatform 23 within the bottom 'of the craft Ill and in order to equalizethe .lifting or hoisting strainpthe motors and their drums are reverselyarranged. in the manner I illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, withone motor on one side of the longitudinal center and its hoisting drumonthe opposite side, while the other motor is on the opposite side ofthe longitudinal center from that of the first motor and with the drumand said latter motor on the opposite side of the first mentionedhoisting drum.

Each hoisting cable is provided at its lower end with an anchoringmeans, ,such as a hook 24, grapple or other equivalent device forattaching the same to the sunken vessel indicated at B.

In practice, a number of buoyant surface members or craft A are employedand divers are sent down to attach the hoisting cables of one set ofmembers II), to one side of the vessel and those of an equal number ofmembers ill to the opposite side of the vesselin the manner illustratedin Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, it being understood that the hoistingcables are attached at longitudinally spaced points along the sides ofthe sunken vessel. The motors 22 of the variousdrums are then started toexert an "upward pull' on said cables by the winding of the same, uponIn the form of the invention shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, the surfacecraft members E are substantially identical with the members A with theexception that in this instance the hollow cylindrical body or hull 35of each of the members is provided with four vertically disposed tubes35 arranged in longitudinally spaced relation with each tube openingthrough the top and bottom of the body at diametrically opposite pointsso that each defines a closed passageway sealed off from the interior ofthe body.

trained arounda sheave 4| and thence downward through an opening 42 inthe top of the body and the hoisting drums until the sunken vessel isfreed from the bed or bottom and "thenthe motors are individually drivento trim the vessel lore and aft and laterally as it is raised todispose-the same in a location adjacent to and within convenient reachof the surface.

I In :order to effect the final lifting and support of the vessel fortowing to shallow water, a p'lurality of sling coupled pontoon units,designated generally by the reference character C, are employed, each ofwhich, as illustrated in Fig. 6,

consists of a pair of hollow cylindrical tanks 25 which are coupledtogetherby slings 2G. 'The pontoon tanks 25 are individually connectedby chains, cables or flexible elements 21 to suspension floats -28 ofsuflicierit buoyancy "to support the pontoon tanks 25 in suspendedrelation below the surface to maneuver the same -to a position .wherethe slings 15 "will straddlethehull of the sunken' vesse'l l3transversely -with the pontoon tanks 25 disposed atopposite side's or'the hull.

.The tanks may initially contain apredetermined Iamount of'water whichafter the unit is disposed in straddling relationto the hull, is "pumpedout. so that the pontoon tanks will rlse't'o or adjacent the surface foreffecting the final'raising of the sunken vessel to'the surface wherethe pontoon tanks then function as means for supportingthe vessel fortowing the same to shallow "water.

From the foregoing it will thus be seen that apparatus has been devised'byvirtu of which ;a 'twofstage method of raising a' sunken vessel maybe carried out which essentially consists in first attaching a'pl'u'ra'lityo'f "flexible hoisting element's respectivelyv tolongitudinal spaced pointsat opposite sides 'of the sunkenvess'el'andthen exerting an upwar'dmull on said elements to'partiallyr'aise thevessel and dispose thesa me in a location'adjacent the surface whereby=c'on- "venient access may be hadffili'e'reto from the surf'iace. Aplurality ofpairsfof submerged pontoon tanks connected by slings arethen "buoyantly suspended from surface floats "and maneuvered intoposition where the slings transversely straddle the partiallyraisedvessel after which the pontoon tanks are pumpe dput to 'rai'se thesisting of a hollow 'bcd'ymembe'r 30' which is of ,cross sectiona1shafpe corresponding "to the *hull of. a, ship. In this instancejtl'iesame isfeqliipped ,withthe vertlcalrt'iiliS H dnningthepassagewaysthrough the hoisting cables f5 ex- :tendand is provided with hoistingdrums and 'l'motors or engin -as nithepreviousiform of'the secured to adrum 43 mounted on the shaft 44 pin hoisting engine 45 supported in thelower portion of the hull or body Ill.

- The opposite end of each hoisting element has secured thereto ananchoring means such as a hook, grapple or equivalent device 46 forattaching the 'same, the sunken vessel indicated in this instance by thereference character F. V

In order to permit of the raising of the sunken vessel'F'to "aheightwhere a portion thereof may be disposed abovev the surface of thewater to facilitate the towing of the same, each of the surface craftmembers E "has secured to the ex'- terior thereof bumper guards 4Twhich,as shown, are so constructed as to provide upper convex surfaceportions48which merge into downwardly andlat'e'r'ally inclined lower surfaceportions 49, the purpose of which will be hereafter set forth.

In use, the surface craft members E are arranged in pairs with thebumper guards 41 disposed in confronting relation so that after one pairof hoisting elements of each of the members, for instance the elements31 and 39, have been attached to the opposite sides of the vessel F bydivers and the said vessel raised to theposition shown in Fig- 9, whereit is near the surface of the water, the remaining pair of hoistingelements 3B and 40 of each member E are passed under "the vessel F andthe hooks 46 of corresponding elements from oppositely 'disposed membersare hooke'dtogether "as shown in Fig. '10. The other pair of'elements'31 and 39 may thenbe slacked off and the hooks 4B removed from theirinitial engagement with "the sides of the vessel and then "said elementspassed under the same and the 'hooks of elements 37 and '39 engaged with'the'ho'oks ol't'he corresponding ele- "merits of the oppositelydisposedmembers in'the same manner as the hooks of the elements 38flan'd10. All of the flexible hoisting elements of all,

of the surface 'cra'ft members E may then be wound upon the drums -43 tohoistthe vessel F to the des'iredheight, it being apparent from Fig.

the inclined surface portions 49 or the bumper guards 41 to cam thesurface craft members-E apart. J

' 'Whatds claimed is:

-. -1.In an iapparatus for raising and. salvaging sunken vessels, ahollow buoyant surface craft having a pair of spaced vertical tubularmemberssealed off from the-interior of the craft and defining apassagesopening respectively through the top and bottom of the craft, hoisting:drums located within said craft .adjacent the bottom thereof, flexiblehoisting elements secured respectively to said drumsior windingandfunwinding thereupon, said fiexiblelhois'tin'g elementsrespectivelyextending upwardly from the drums througnthe top of the craft and thencetrained downwardly through said tubular members for connection at theirfree lower ends with the sunken vessel.

2. In an apparatus for raising and salvaging sunken vessels, a hollowbuoyant surface craft, a pair of vertical tubes sealed off from theinterior. of the craft and opening respectively through the top andbottom of the craft and arranged in aligned spaced relationlongitudinally thereof at the transverse center, hoisting drums locatedwithin said craft adjacent the bottom thereof, flexible hoistingelements respectively extending upwardly from and secured to the drumsfor winding and unwinding thereupon, said hoisting elements extendingthrough the top of the craft and thence trained downwardly through saidtubes respectively for connection at their lower free ends with thesunken vessel.

3. In an apparatus for raising and salvaging sunken vessels, a hollowbuoyant surface craft, a pair of vertical tubes sealed ofi from theinterior of the craft and opening respectively through the top andbottom of the craft and arranged in aligned spaced relationlongitudinally and at the transverse center thereof, motor drivenhoisting drums within said craft adjacent the bottom thereof anddisposed in reversely arranged relation with one drum on one side of thelongitudinal center of the craft and the other drum on a the oppositeside of said longitudinal center, flexible hoisting elements vsecuredrespectively to said drums and adapted to be wound upon and unwoundtherefrom, said flexible hoisting elements respectively extendingupwardly from the drums through the top of the craft and thence traineddownwardly through said tubes,-

and means at the lower free ends of said flexible hoisting elementsadapted for attachment to the sunken vessel.

4. In an apparatus for raising and salvaging sunken vessels, a hollowbuoyant surface craft having a plurality of pairs of longitudinallyspaced vertical tubular members sealed off from the interior of thecraft and defining passages opening respectively through the top andbottom of said craft, hoisting drums located within said craft adjacentthe bottom thereof, flexible hoisting elements secured respectively tosaid drums for winding and unwinding thereupon, said flexible hoistingelements respectively extending from the drums through the top of thecraft and thence trained downwardly through the respective tubularmembers for connection at their free lower ends to the sunken vessel,and longitudinally spaced exterior bumper guards secured toand'extending vertically along one side and said craft.

GEORGE W. WINKLER.

